31 Days of Christmas

December 28: Anna Bears Witness of Jesus

Reading: Luke 2:36–39

Photo by Danie Franco on Unsplash

And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. -Luke 2:36 -

Along with Simeon meeting Mary and Joseph in the temple, Luke also mentions a woman named Anna. We find that women play a vital role all through the life and ministry of Jesus.

• God used a woman, not a man, to bring his Messiah into the world.
• Women funded Jesus’ ministry and many women followed Him as disciples (Mark 15:41, Luke 8:1–3).
• Jesus regularly defended women and first appeared to women after His resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28:9, Mark 14:6–9, Luke 7:44–49).
• Though only one of the 12 disciples stayed at the cross with Jesus, several women remained faithfully at His side. (John 19:25)

but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. (John‬ ‭19‬:‭25,‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

Anna was a prophetess; God had gifted her to communicate on his behalf. In the Old Testament, Moses’ sister Miriam, Deborah, and Isaiah’s wife were prophetesses.